University of Imam Ja`afar Al-sadiq/Baghdad

College of Arts
Department: English Literature
Morning Studies
Third stage

Subject of report
( Dimmesdale as a sinner)

Mohammed Ammar Hashim

Ms.Jinan Abdulla

Year (2019/2020)
Introduction
Arthur Dimmesdale is the unmarried pastor of Hester's congregation . He is
a symbol of the secret sinner; one who recognizes his transgression but
keeps it hidden and secret, even to his own downfall.
Dimmesdale is the town minister of Puritan Boston. He is Hester’s previous
lover and Pearl’s father. Whereas Hester wears her shame publicly through
the scarlet letter, Dimmesdale keeps his shame private. His secret—and the
resultant guilt he feels—manifests in him physically. He becomes weak,
pale, and enfeebled.

Dimmesdale is hailed by his fellow Bostonians as a powerful orator and

compelling minister. However, he holds the secret of his adultery inside
him, and it begins to wear on him. The townspeople interpret his physical
deterioration as a result of his vivid imagination, powerful sensibility, and
devotion to the church. They interpret his sermons about sin and
repentance as parables instead of what they really are: hidden attempts to
atone for his own sin. His parishioners’ respect for him only exacerbates his
misery because he alone recognizes the hypocrisy of his words.

1
Dimmesdale as a sinner
It’s all Dimmesdale’s fault In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, many of the
characters are looked upon as sinners. Sinners are people who go against
the bible, God’s word. In actuality every character is a sinner someway and
somehow. After reading the book, there is one character that sticks out to
be the biggest sinner of all. That is Dimmesdale. Although all characters are
sinners, Dimmesdale committed the greater sin for impregnating Hester
Pryne. Dimmesdale is the pope of the town.

He gives sermons in the church, he preaches, he leads people to follow the

word of God.
One of the major sins in the book of the bible is adultery. Adultery also
includes another person who is committed in marriage, Mrs. Pryne. Even
though Hester’s spouse leaves, she is technically still married. Hester’s
spouse left her abandoned in search for something new. She committed
adultery herself which is what she gets punished for. The fact that
Dimmesdale thought of being with Hester is already sinning.

Dimmesdale is supposed to be a leader of the church. Being a leader, you

follow the word of God, and believe in what you preach.
For Dimmesdale to know that Adultery is in the book of the bible as a sin,
he still commits it. The author goes to explain how Dimmesdale sins against
his own religion, “And be the stern and sad truth spoken, that the breach
which guilt has once made into the human soul is never, in this mortal
state, repaired. ” (Hawthorne). Dimmesdale knew what he was getting
involved and exactly how he was committing a sin. He is more than guilty
for committing adultery which is the sad truth. Being a part of the church
and a leader of the church, you are held to high standards and you should
be able to reach those standards.
2
Dimmesdale is the greater sinner because he knew what he was doing, he
is a wise guy, but yet he still continued to pursue Hester Pryne without
hesitation. Not only did they commit adultery, but shortly after there is an
announcement that Hester then becomes pregnant. There is only way for
Hester to become pregnant after she is left behind by her husband. In the
beginning of the novel, Hester has a child and her name is Pearl. Now, how
does Hester have a new born child if her husband abandoned her two years
ago? There has to be a third person involved with Hester.

The book talks about Hester Pryne and her life as she goes on with this
punishment. The reason the book was ever written was to focus in on
Hester’s life living with punishment. Her punishment comes from
Dimmesdale. He is the father of Pearl. He not only sins against the church
and God, but brings sin into Hester and Pearl’s life as well. After
Dimmesdale sins, he just brought sin upon everyone. Dimmesdale and
Hester discuss about their past, “Is not this better,” murmured he, “than
what we dreamed of in the forest? “

“I know not! I know not! ” she hurriedly replied. Better? Yea; so we may
both die, and little Pearl die with us! ” (Hawthorne). Hester is left with all
the blame, both of them should have confessed publicly what they have
done. Anyone in contact with Dimmesdale, tends to sin as well. For
example, when Chillingworth comes back into town, all he wants is to know
Dimmesdale’s secret. His secret which was that he was Pearl’s father and
Chillingworth was Hester’s horrible spouse. Dimmesdale then causes
Chillingworth to sin and bring all of his focus onto himself rather than God.
Dimmesdale is a walking sin.

3
Anything he touches, talks to, or interacts with begins to sin as well.
Dimmesdale is by far the greater sinner throughout the book because he is
the root of all the problems. The reason other characters sin are because of
Dimmesdale’s sins which are brought onto everybody else as well. The
greatest sin that Dimmesdale committed throughout the story, is the sin he
has done to himself. He knew exactly what he was getting into and yet he
still did it. I believe the worse sin is knowing exactly how and when you are
sinning, but not confessing.

Dimmesdale knew he was involved in adultery with Hester. Somehow only

Hester got the punishment for adultery. Since Dimmesdale easily sinned
against himself and his beliefs, it is hard to watch your partner go through
the punishment while you watch. He stood by the jail and saw Hester walk
out in front of the town, while people just stared at her disgusted. God tells
us that we should confess our sins so that we can repent and be cleansed
from them. Dimmesdale did not do any of these steps. He kept the secrets,
guilt, shame, and punishment all to himself.

All of these emotions and feelings could have been easily given to God to
repent, but he bottles it up inside him. Dimmesdale’s guilt just eats at him,
“Poor, miserable man! what right had infirmity like his to burden itself with
crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice either to endure
it, or, if it press too hard, to exert their fierce and savage strength for a
good purpose, and fling it off at once! ” (Hawthorne). He hides how he
really feels, his secret adultery with Hester, and acts like everything is okay.

4
Being a preacher, there should be extra pressure on yourself knowing what
you did wrong. He brings sin upon other people that then puts more weight
onto his shoulders. Dimmesdale should have just let all of his feelings and
worries away to God. Put his sins in the hands of God and trust that he will
take care of it. When you keep it locked up is when you get bitter. Then you
start to sin against God even more by not trusting the Lord knowing that He
will make everything okay. All this guilt and pressure that was put onto
Dimmesdale resulted in his death.

Everything that he kept bottled up inside of him, ate him up internally. It

was not for the good. His sins laid inside his heart and just took over his
body. This sin that was brought upon himself was not for the better. Now
Pearl grows up without a father. Hester is left as a single parent. His locked
away sin just brings greater struggles and sin into other people’s life he had
an impact on. Dimmesdale seemed like an honest, caring, and loving man
at the beginning of the story. As the story continued on, his personality and
worries came to show through his dialogue.